


Scarred Nights and Scarlet Knives

by APortInAnyStorm



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-05-16 09:06:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19315033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/APortInAnyStorm/pseuds/APortInAnyStorm
Summary: Armed with naught but his trusted diary, a traveler sets out to discover the truth behind his arrival in Gensokyo, and his role in the fate of the realm at large.





	1. Entry ??: On the End

_"I serve one master, one household, one realm. Traveler, you would do well to remember that beyond the barrier, there is only subjugation. There is only war, and the cries of skirmishing crows, harbingers of unrelenting devastation. Within, there is only the land, and its many scions, residing in a peace tempered by years of conflict. And there is I, the humblest servant in our world, and hence the greatest it has ever known. I often tell those select few who are foolish - and headstrong - enough to enter, 'Don't take the tranquility of the forests at face value. Behind that veneer of serenity lies a greater danger, one that haunts the minds of the maidens tending to the only constants in this otherwise chaotic world: this Mansion, situated at the heart of it all.'"_

_She took a sip of her tea, glancing upwards at me as she did so. An angry gleam pierced my vision momentarily whilst she crossed her legs; she then leaned back to fully take in the latest, and very much mortal, addition to the mansion's vast living room. The knives were still there, strapped to her thighs, as they had been for hundreds of years. Some things never changed._

_"You're telling me this, and yet you know I've been here before," I started. But before I could continue, she put up a finger, and the look in her eyes hushed me without expectation of protest._

_"Gensokyo changes every time the moonlight swirls in the purple mist. Every time the bamboo thickets rustle in the wind. Every time the halls of the Mansion fall victim to the flowering night." She nodded to herself, as if she had come to realize something she hadn't before. Which, knowing her, must be something truly remarkable indeed. "And every time my mistress ventures out into the realm, too."_

_"So, every day." I waved a hand impatiently. "Rhetoric won't help you patronize me, Miss Izayoi. Your time with Remilia Scarlet should have told you that much-"_

_What happened next was something I, as a mere human, could never have even begun to process. One moment, she was sitting there, teacup gracefully in her grasp, and the next there was a dagger at my throat, and perhaps fifteen - no, fifty, even - others hovering in a menacing star around my head. Sakuya herself was glaring down at me from high above, the look of a predator gazing upon its prey all but apparent on her otherwise beautiful features._

_"I will not tolerate disrespectful mention of my mistress, traveler," she spat._

_For the briefest of moments, I considered retorting. I could, after all, remove myself from my current predicament if I really wanted to. But, with the threat of death very real and very imminent, and my objectives as of yet unrealized, I kept my temper in check and, closing my eyes in resignation, I nodded. Seconds later, I felt the dagger very reluctantly retreat from its position beside my jugular. I heard the armchair opposite me rustle, allowing me to open my eyes again._

_Her piety to her mistress has been steadfast and unwavering for so long, and yet if she knew... would she - or could she - continue to be so stubborn, so sure about herself, about this whole affair? And if Scarlet were allowed to do what she had always planned to do since arriving here - heaven knows how long ago that was - would Sakuya's loyalties remain unchanged? Or perhaps - just perhaps - Sakuya already knew, and she was simply biding her time, waiting for it all to come together, like pieces of a puzzle falling miraculously into each other, to form the picture that could turn the great wars of this realm into nothing but petty skirmishes in the face of such an impending disaster?_

_I took my teacup and drank slowly from it. It was bitter, but the leaves themselves withheld a quiet sweetness, and the essence of the tea granted me a soothing warmth in the cold, harsh climate of the empty mansion. I looked at Sakuya, who looked back quizzically, but with the same self-surety that was evident in everything she did. Deep down, I knew that I would do well to trust her, at least for the time being. Maybe there was hope for this world. We'd just have to wait and see, I guessed._

_And just as the last vestiges of that final thought left my head, the giant doors behind me creaked open, the sound shooting fresh dread into my heart. "Speak of the devil" would be a phrase a touch more appropriate than any other in this case, I thought wryly as I stood, and turned the next page in my, insofar, rather unfortunate life._

_How did all this come to pass?_


	2. Entry 2: On the Mansion Library (Part 1)

Beneath the quiet abode of Remilia Scarlet lay a structure to which full, unrestricted access was only granted to the privileged few. Such scholarly and intellectually curious individuals were far and few between, and so it was with the greatest luck that I was permitted to enter the hallowed halls of the Scarlet Devil Mansion's library, the single and most powerful authority on knowledge of the realm and its largely forsaken history.

Or so I was told, at least. I had apparently been found, cold and shivering, at the edge of the body of water known as Misty Lake, and had been brought into the antechamber of the mansion after some apprehension on the part of the only maidservant that kept watch over this great and ancient building, a silver-haired beauty that had found it unnecessary to engage me in anything other than curt and perfunctory conversation, only divulging her name, Sakuya Izayoi, after some consternation on her part - not that, of course, I had any names to give her in return. I had then been introduced to the master of this household, a young vampire girl in a frilly pink dress by the name of Remilia Scarlet, though my memories of my meeting with her were fuzzy - a result, I assumed, of the strong magic that reverberated throughout the interior of the Mansion.

My mind was otherwise like a blank slate, largely devoid of any clear memories prior to those I had just formed, and though I had maintained my basic cognitive functions and some recollections of the outside world remained, I was completely at the mercy of whomever had the misfortune of hosting me at the time. Ultimately, only after I had finished my cup of tea, a strange, bitter brew that carried an aftertaste reminiscent of the taste of iron, was I allowed to wander the halls, so long as I did not enter any of the more heavily-guarded rooms. Which led me, inexorably, here.

My guide and the host of this splendid place, the enigmatic Patchouli Knowledge, glided along the wooden floor, her steps leaving swirling echoes of tempered magic in their wake. The boards were old, having withstood the various burdens and tests of time, and yet they held my weight well. Perhaps it was the low hum of ethereal power coursing through the tall alleys and corridors of the library that preserved it in such a static, unchanging state. Or perhaps it was simply that I was the only person, aside from Patchouli and her diminutive assistant, Koakuma, who had passed over this particular section of the library, even in all its long, perennial existence.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" asked Patchouli as she pattered in and out of the shelves, with me trailing in her wake. "Like a grimoire of earthen spells, or some tome of history? Or," she paused, and turned to glance at me cautiously, "something even beyond that?"

I shrugged. "I will take whatever you are willing to offer, librarian."

Patchouli allowed herself a small smile. "Such humility. Very well, you will see what it is that we hide from the eyes of the ever-inquisitive world."

"I was not aware that you hid any such things in here."

"Come now, traveler." Patchouli mocked stifling a yawn, or at least, that was what it seemed like to me. "You are here in the greatest resource our land has and will ever know, and you assume that the place is safe enough for even the deadliest of Gensokyo's secrets to simply be lying around, free to be procured and produced at expense of the world? Don't look so scared, now," - she had seen the look of surprise that appeared on my face following her words - "we keep everything tightly under wraps. Here we are."

The process that followed was too complicated for me to reproduce in words - or it's entirely possible, too, that some kind of silent amnesiac had been cast upon me throughout - but when all the intricacies were done with, I found myself at the foot of a set of stairs even older than those of the main entrance, and in a chamber that looked even mustier than the already decrepit-looking upper level of the great library. This second basement floor was by no means smaller than the first, but the floors were marked with stone, and the lamps lighting the way forward seemed to carry a more sinister air. Patchouli, lantern in hand, began to walk, and I hastily followed.

As we journeyed, I felt the presence of some other entity nearby, but failed to pinpoint its exact location until the moment we turned the corner of one of the endless, ubiquitous wooden racks lining the chamber, and found myself face to face with an impish, devil-like girl. She nodded as my gaze turned to her, and after recovering from being startled by her sudden appearance, I nodded back. "Good evening."

The girl flinched at my reply, but provided no further answer of her own.

"There are no mornings or evenings here, traveler." Patchouli's voice reverberated around the hall, which was getting thicker with mist with every row passed. "In this place, all the books here are fast asleep. Only eyes cast upon their pages can awaken them from their slumber."

"You speak as if the books are alive," I interjected, "but are they not simply words on pages, some bound magically to this world, whilst others are simply left to be read and discarded at will?"

"To know of the soul of something is to, quite literally, read it like an open book. In here, things are no different." Patchouli stopped, and a leather-wrapped tome slid out of its slot in the shelf, flying swiftly into her outstretched hand. She handed the tome to me. It was heavy, and the pages were ragged, but I endeavored, with Patchouli's good graces, to indulge myself in it nonetheless. Opening the pages, a strange array of words and numbers greeted me.

"What am I looking at?" I asked as I pored over the text, my mind drawing a complete blank over its meaning.

Patchouli raised her eyebrows. "See for yourself, traveler. The soul of this book is yours to know now."

I looked back at the yellowing pages again.

And, without warning, the world faded to black.


	3. Entry 3: On the Mansion Library (Part 2)

I came to in a small, stuffy room, a dim lantern hanging from a moldy ceiling, swinging slowly. The lantern was rusty and of simple make, yet there was no denying that its light came from a wellspring of a supernatural nature - for one, though it hung high above the room, no visible hooks or latches could be seen attaching it to the ceiling's surface. It simply hovered, swirling with the faintest tinctures of arcane energy.

As the lantern's glow pooled into the shadows, the room's contents gradually came into view. I was lying on a bed in the corner, and the only other item of furniture present seemed to be a desk set, an old oaken table with a set of drawers to complement it, and a similarly stocky chair upon which was sat a figure clad in purple silk robes that never seemed to remain still, fluttering with the aetheric wind that lent its owner the power she commanded as keeper of the realm's deepest, darkest secrets.

She heard my return to consciousness, and turned, giving me the same smile she always wore when looking after her many guests. She had been writing a book - the pen in her hand and the scattered papers on the desk were good indication of that - and, considering that many of the library's selections had been penned by the librarian herself, that didn't surprise me in the least.

I quickly sat up, but Patchouli put up a hand to stay me. "Make sure you are feeling fully rested before you stand - the nauseatic effects of the magic you were exposed to may still linger."

"Magic?" I struggled to recollect what had happened. There was a book, leather-bound, yellowing, and full of what seemed to be the most random gibberish I'd ever laid eyes upon. And then...

"It was meant to give you nothing but a small shock, but I never expected the tome to hold so much power after so long." She bit her lower lip in thought. "And I never expected your adjustment to magic to be so... violent."

"I am a non-magical being, yes." I rubbed my head and felt a hard lump, freshly materialized, at the back.

"Not anymore." Patchouli herself stood, and came over to me. Placing a finger on my temple, she murmured something under her breath, and then stepped back. "That tome was a guide to basic Youkai magic. Demon magic. The fact that you blacked out means that you found the soul of the book, and in it you unlocked your own potential, one that is latent in the vast majority of humans. I'm not saying that you'll be able to stop time or summon knives in times of need, like certain people do at the flick of a wrist. But perhaps you'll be able to do something you've never done before. That remains to be seen, of course, and if you stay here, maybe I could help you find out what it is your new powers will allow to happen."

It was obvious she was curious as to what the tome had done for me, or to me. So, too, was I.

"Sorry, Miss Knowledge. But I have a greater mission that I must attend to first, one that takes precedence over such a matter, and one that will involve incredible lengths of discovery, far more than what I have found here. I ought to depart soon, assuming I haven't slept for too long."

"Only a couple of hours." Patchouli seemed slightly disappointed. "Though I can't possibly see what could be more important than discovering what lies within yourself, rather than the outside world. Gensokyo is only as big as you want it to be - the human mind, however, is endless."

I smiled. "Thank you for your patronage, Miss Knowledge. But to me, Gensokyo is as limitless as any mind."

Following a few more exchanges of words and courtesies, I was ushered out of the great doors of the library and, after making my way past the mansion gates, took my first steps into fresh air, and into Gensokyo proper.


	4. Entry 4: On Hakurei (Part 1)

Gensokyo, the Land of Illusion, was perhaps one of the only places in the world where advancement of the spirit was valued more highly than advancement of material technology. Youkai, spiritual beings that might be termed "demons" or "devils" by most outer-world humans, coexisted with humans and other creatures, though the occasional conflict inevitably sprang up and brought the realm's many factional schisms into play. Of course, none of these skirmishes lasted for very long, or the realm would have long since reverted to the haunted, barren state it maintained long ago, before the youkai came seeking refuge from the aggressive actions taken against them by the increasingly human-populated world.

It was hard to say how I arrived here, or whether I would return to normal human society again in the near future. But what I did know is that however I came here, I did so through the Barrier, the central source of which was the Hakurei Shrine.

The Shrine was a humble and frail-looking structure, a stock building of stone and wood built on a crumbling foundation, and was perhaps one of the most physically unassuming in all of the realm, especially given the grandiose manner in which the Scarlet Mansion presented itself. Yet the role it played in the realm's inner workings, and perhaps in the realm's very existence, was absolutely undeniable. For it was the Shrine that kept the denizens of Gensokyo, human, youkai and other supernatural creatures alike, safe from the perils of the humans without.

I knew little about the true details of what happened before the Shrine's formation, or what exactly led to Gensokyo's self-enforced isolation from the rest of the world. All I had gathered, after hearing bits and pieces from the few members of the Scarlet Devil Mansion willing to talk to me, was that there had been some kind of war, and human society, the society I knew, won out. Thus, to protect the youkai and their few human allies, a powerful barrier was erected over Gensokyo with the Shrine as its source. To destroy the Shrine would perhaps lead to the re-exposure of Gensokyo to the world, and with the advent of human technology, who knew what kind of horrors might be wreaked on the realm following such a revelation. Considering that the barrier's effects caused Gensokyo's current time to lag behind that of the modern world by several centuries, I doubted Gensokyo's inhabitants would have been happy to find their peace shattered by the arrival of a much-improved and considerably more bloodthirsty enemy. Thus, the Shrine stayed, and I supposed the vast majority of Gensokyo were happy to leave it that way.

The Shrine itself took on a fairly decrepit appearance, and was nestled in the farthest reaches of eastern Gensokyo. The path leading up to it was old and worn, and even on the best of days, it still proved hard to even find the beginning of the road to its entrance. So, one could perhaps sympathize with the trouble I put myself in to trek all the way from the Mansion, around Misty Lake, and over to the Shrine. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the sight of a young girl sweeping the stone pavement leading towards the shrine as I finalized the rockier portion of my long walk, feeling the uneven beaten path cut into the soles of my boots. She wore two of the most billowy and comfortable-looking arm-wraps I'd ever seen, and a simple red vest to complement the white-and-trim theme on the arm-wraps. What struck me most about her appearance, however, was the massive red ribbon tied on her head, with two smaller ribbons hanging off the ponytails on her faded-brown hair.

Recognizing her as the host of this shrine, I approached her and gave her a perfunctory nod in greeting. She beamed brightly upon seeing me - perhaps friendly visitors were a rare occurrence in a land like this. Especially if those visitors were other humans, of all the people that could come here.

There were several reasons why Reimu Hakurei was such a big name within Gensokyo. One was that she was a direct descendant of the creator of the powerful Hakurei Barrier, which meant that Reimu herself, carrying the blood of the Hakurei in her veins, too harbored great potential as a user of worldly magic. Another, a direct consequence of the aforementioned reason, was her constant fights with those few in number, yet no less significant, close-minded youkai who sought to destroy her home, and maybe the rest of Gensokyo along with it. I had yet to find out what the logic behind such attacks might be, though I knew that extreme boredom could drive even the most sane mind mad.

Additionally, following the example of the shrine that raised her, I soon found that looks could be deceiving.


	5. Entry 5: On Hakurei (Part 2)

"Good afternoon," she chirped. It was then that I began to feel what seemed like lead weights tugging on my eyelids - I had not slept for a good, long while.

"Afternoon to you too, Miss Hakurei." I gestured towards the shrine. "May I?"

Her eyes widened, and she nodded. "Please do."

I rummaged in my pocket as I approached the little altar, roofed by a thin oaken fringe that barely shielded the entrance from the sun's glare. Surprisingly, I managed to find my wallet, slightly battered, but still intact. Judging by the amount of money inside, it seems that whoever had sent me here to Gensokyo had tried to ensure that I had enough to eat for at least a year or so. I couldn't recall ever withdrawing this much from the bank, at least...

I fished out a note and slipped it inside the donation box perched on the altar, hoping the gods would accept a form of currency from several hundred years into the future. Reimu's eyes followed my hand's progress towards the box closely.

Clapping my hands together and bowing to the little statue gazing up at me from the ground, I smiled at the expectant Reimu. "May I stay for a while longer? I'm in need of a little rest."

"Of course." Reimu beckoned for me to follow her, then darted into the side entrance of the shrine. When I reached the doorway and peered in, I found her bustling about the place, pulling a table and cushions into the center of the room, a kettle already humming quietly on the miniature stove above the fireplace. Taking off my shoes, I stepped into the room, feeling the floor, completely covered in straw matting, rustle underneath my feet. A small coating of dust also matted the ground, but the straw was still cool and refreshing to the touch.

The contrast between this place and the Scarlet Devil Mansion could not have been more stark, more clear. The Mansion was a cold, large, empty place, and every whisper echoed in and out of the corridors, shimmering through the halls with an almost aetheric quality. No wind ever penetrated the walls of its chambers, and yet there was no denying the harsh, dark, and wholly disquieting veil that was cast over everything, an all-encompassing frostiness pooling into every corner, every niche, seeping into your bones. Even in the day, there was little comfort to be found from the sunlight, so tinted and warped by the windows that it became nothing but a mellow glow, a husk of dull illumination. The Mansion's size in itself warranted a second visit, though probably, and hopefully, not any time soon.

The Hakurei Shrine, however, clung tightly to its humble roots, and never seemed to tire of them. The interior was as dilapidated as the exterior, and yet it was so homely, so comforting, and so warm. Unbelievably warm. Still, the breeze coursing through the open doorway cooled the sweat on my back, and the smell of sweet tea permeated the slightly damp air inside. Only my deep-seated sense of courtesy prevented me from laying on the straw mattress and falling asleep immediately in the shadow of the lazy midday sun.

Reimu took a cushion and sat on it, adopting the knees-forward seating position I still had yet to master. I opted instead, as she patted the table and motioned for me to sit down, to cross my legs and use the cushion as a foot-stool of sorts, so refreshing was the feeling of the cold straw beneath me. We spent the next few minutes making small talk, letting the breezy chirping ubiquitous in all summers calm our ears as we chatted. As the kettle pouted, and Reimu brought it along with some teacups to the table, she popped the question.

"Your travels carry much color, traveler, though I am surprised you have yet to encounter any, well, more hostile entities on your way here." After hearing a summary of my experience in Gensokyo so far, she seemed eager to talk. "I am sure you will find some way of returning some day." She paused, and, slightly apologetically, she continued. "But you see, the process of returning to the outside world is as arbitrary as it is complicated. I am afraid some source of great power, or at least someone acquainted with the process, may be required. Outside the youkai, I do not know of anyone living here who has managed to leave yet."

"That's a little unfortunate." I took a sip of the tea she offered me. Unlike Sakuya Izayoi's tea, it was more herbal in nature, with a distinct citrous aftertaste that carried away the mild bitterness that brought it forward in the first place.

"It is. But enough about that. We should make your stay in Gensokyo as comfortable as possible, while we can. I am not the greatest tour guide, but I can tell you a little about everything. Is there anything you have in mind, or anywhere you would like to go next?"

I raised my eyebrows, and thought about it for a moment. "I guess so."

"Let us hear it, then."


	6. Entry 6: On Hakurei (Part 3)

The location I next suggested I could search for answers at was a landmark I hadn't felt the need to examine closely on my way to the Hakurei Shrine, before a discussion with Reimu convinced me otherwise. I was told that it was often best to retrace one's steps when trying to figure anything out in Gensokyo, as the realm, despite being frozen in time within the barrier's hold, also constantly changed. Plus, with Reimu with me, I could have less fear of running into any unwanted contact, without anyone to back me up should things go awry.

"We are all good and pleasant folk here," Reimu said as we made our way into the forest bordering Misty Lake. "It is simply the case that none of us really knows how to resolve our differences without simultaneously relieving our boredom."

"Well, seeing as I'll be here a good while longer, I hope to meet more of this world's folk as long as I'm around." Recalling something Patchouli Knowledge had mentioned about Misty Lake, I continued, "I hear Misty Lake is home to monsters in addition to fairies. Is it safe?"

That last question was surely a pointless one to ask to someone harboring as much power as Reimu Hakurei, but Reimu seemed eager to put my fears to rest. "Any monsters there that would attack you can be negotiated with. Most fish tend to shrink away from human proximity. But there's always one or two..." She sighed.

I was on the verge of asking her about what she had said, but then her eyes brightened, and she pointed in front of us. "Look, the lake is just ahead."

By now, the sunlight had already dimmed to the extent that the sky had turned bright purple, with blotches of red here and there, marred by the occasional passing of clouds. As we left the shadow of the hill upon which the Shrine rested, I couldn't help but mull over what Reimu had told me just before we departed. As the sun had set, I had asked her about the possibility of leaving Gensokyo through the barrier, in the same way things often arrived here. She smiled sadly as I posed my question, and I knew then what her answer would be.

"Though we get the occasional item from the other side, no one from Gensokyo has ever been able to leave this place in a similar manner. Such is the power of the barrier, regrettably. Of course, it has preserved us in this state of harmony for so many centuries, but sometimes even I wonder what lies beyond..." She suddenly perked up, and leaned forward, eyes shining as she looked to me. "What is it like? Outside, I mean."

The modern era carried many features that, though seeming common and ordinary to us, would have seemed like miracles to those for whom time never waited. I began telling her as much about the world as I could, and with every new insight, she grew more and more incredulous.

"Flying tubes of steel that carry humans around?" She stifled a giggle. "Why bother, when you could just fly around by yourself?"

"Humans in our world aren't capable of aviation. We just don't have the ability to. Magic isn't exactly something we can... do."

"A regression, if you ask me, to a more powerless state." I knew most of the people in Gensokyo shared Reimu's view on the matter. Little wonder, then, that I was treated as a guest everywhere I went. "Though I'm sure if Patchouli gave them all a few check-ups, they'd be flying around in no time." She sobered up slightly. "Seven billion... it used to be a few million back then. I doubt any of us expected something like this."

The thought of having seven billion hostile entities surrounding your home would give even the most confident of people pause for thought. For the first time, I found it in myself to sympathize with the people of Gensokyo. Though of course, I believed the Hakurei Barrier would do its job for as long as it took.

As long as it took... for what? For the world to end? How long could this peace last for?

"Hey, traveler." Reimu snapped a finger in front of my face, and pointed in front of us again. "We're here."

"What?" Still slightly dazed, I followed the direction her finger was pointing in. What greeted me might as well have been the largest mirror I'd ever seen. It was night, and through the trees, I could see the moonlight leaving a trail of searing white across the still water. A small breeze picked up as we neared the lake's brim, and the water moved as one, rippling back and forth, the reflected moonlight on the surface shivering in the wind, but never breaking its stream. The trees shuddered, and I shuddered with them, pulling my jacket tighter towards myself. Reimu, though wearing only a cloth robe, seemed entirely unaffected by the incoming cold.

"I suppose she is sleeping now, but I'm sure some others are still awake," Reimu said. We began walking around the edge, taking care not to lose our footing and slip into the water.

"Who?" I asked.

Reimu glanced at me. "It depends what kind of answers you're looking for."

I shrugged. "I don't know what I would ask. What kind of information would I get from people who live in a lake, as opposed to from people who live on land?"

"In all honesty, I cannot say. Water sprites are a dumb lot."

"I'll have you take that back, Reimu," chirped a voice behind us.


	7. Entry 7: On Hakurei (Part 4)

I snapped around, looking for the source of the voice. The cold air had seeped right through my clothes, and I could feel myself teetering over the edge of unconsciousness. If the voice hadn't startled me, I might well have simply dropped dead halfway through our trek.

"Who's there?" I asked. There was nothing in front of me. All I saw were the swaying trees, the rippling water, the moonlight pouring into the dark forest-

"Down here," said the voice, in an obviously irritated tone.

I looked down. There, standing at around waist height, was a little girl. She had vibrant blue hair, and a simple blue dress to complement it, as well as a giant blue ribbon that looked uncannily similar to Reimu's. She was standing with her hands on her hips, looking at my eyebrows, as if that could somehow make her seem taller than me. She stared up, and I glanced nervously back.

"Hello there, little girl," I said. "Gah!"

A small icicle had materialized out of nowhere, and, in a manner similar to Sakuya's knives, had headed straight for me. It struck me in the knee, and though it couldn't penetrate the skin, it sent shockwaves reverberating through the nerves in my kneecap, and my right leg gave. Without warning, I was sent plunging straight into the cold water.

Daggers shot straight through my bones as I landed. As I struggled to move my joints, which had locked together from the shock of the impact, I heard a boom reverberate across the clearing. My eyes jerked open, and through the bubbling water I could see the sky glow blood red. The glow faded as quickly as it had come, and I stumbled onto the bank of the lake, coughing and spluttering. As my mind cleared and I rubbed the water from my eyes, I had my first sight of a tremendous testament to the power of Hakurei.

A crystalline light shone high above the lake. Bathing within the light was Reimu, one hand outstretched, rows upon rows of meticulously decorated cards hovering in unison, weaving in and out of her fingers. Her robes fluttered wildly, and it was almost possible to see shimmering waves of heat and wind beneath her, currents of magic tracing her every move, supporting her ascent towards the pinnacle of power.

A groan came from some distance in front of her, and I looked over to see the little girl leaning against a tree, clutching her temples, shaking the pain from them as she attempted to stand, struggling almost as much as I did. A black-and-white charm above her head evaporated just as she regained her footing, and it was evident that the charm was of Reimu's doing, as with a swipe of Reimu's hand, two more appeared by her side.

"The traveler is my guest, Cirno," Reimu said sternly as she looked down upon the girl in blue. "Do not let your pettiness get the better of you."

Something cracked beneath my feet, and I looked down to see a web of stunning white begin to spread across the lake's exterior. I leapt out of the water seconds before the ice could solidify and trap me in its embrace.

"Anyone who looks down on me will get only what they deserve," Cirno replied brashly. "The traveler is not your friend - step aside, and I'll spare you the need to face me."

The cards hovering around Reimu's hands stopped, suspended in complete stasis. Then, without warning, they darted towards Cirno, a hail of red flitting across the lake's edge faster than the eye could see, so that it looked like a single stream of paper flying through the air.

Cirno flicked her hand upwards, and an equally impressive storm of icicles materialized from behind her, rising to meet the red blizzard in equal number. As red and blue clashed, the conjured objects annihilated each other, reverting back to their primal, magical forms, disappearing with small bursts of light. It was akin to watching a deadly dance of fire and ice, enemies equal in number and power, no side taking the lead.

Inevitably though, the lake water that had evaporated during the day came to Cirno's aid, and a second ring of icicles overrode Reimu's attack, parrying the cards and hurtling towards Reimu herself. With a point of a finger from Reimu's other hand, a circle of inscriptions grew from the tip of her finger, absorbing the icicles and simultaneously feeding on the magical bullets, expanding in size until it was thrice the size of Reimu. The shield vanished with a second motion, and the lake was dark again.

For several moments, nothing moved. Then, Cirno turned to me, staring unflinchingly as she spoke.

"What do you want, human?" she asked coldly.


	8. Entry 8: On Hakurei (Part 5)

So cold was the water's edge, so chilling was the breeze, that at first, I could not find it in myself to speak. But as I opened my mouth, Reimu held a hand up to stay my tongue.

"The traveler is lost, Cirno." For the first time, Reimu spoke in a quiet, yet clearly firm tone. I doubt many had the chance to see her so subdued. "He came from outside the barrier, and he only seeks passage home."

Cirno's eyebrows creased in confusion. "He's a complete foreigner to this place. Why do you bother? I thought you only had a thing for youkai."

"I can only find sincerity in his actions. There is no malice coming from this man."

"You've always been a sucker for helping people. Maybe it's time you stopped stomping around the place like you owned it."

"Why, you-"

"Reimu, stop!" I pleaded. I knew I had to interject before the duo started fighting again, but when both maidens looked at me, I was nearly at a loss for words. "I... feel that we won't get anywhere with you two fighting. Cirno, you may choose not to believe me, but I have no recollection of how I got here, or why I got here. I only want help, and Reimu told me we could find some here."

Cirno's gaze never wavered, but I could at least sense that her guard was lowering.

"What kind of help were you expecting from me?" Cirno asked, appearing bemused. "The others are asleep, and you're obviously not from around here."

"Answers." I bit my lip, thinking of what to say next. "A way to exit this realm. If I have to ask everyone who lives in this place the same question, I will." Looking away from Reimu, I added, "Especially since even a descendant of the creator of the barrier doesn't know."

Cirno sighed. "As if you thought I'd know what to do. I've been living here at the lake for as long as I can remember. Barriers, wars, whatever - I don't care."

"But you have to admit that you're at least a bit curious about his plight," Reimu chipped in. "Otherwise, knowing you, you wouldn't even have bothered hearing him out."

"Knowing me, huh." Cirno rolled her eyes. "If you're such an expert on the way things operate around here, then you wouldn't have brought the traveler here, would you?" She paused. "I am a little interested. Even so, I know nothing beyond what kinds of things fall in from the other side of the barrier. Some of that stuff ends up in the lake, after all."

I urged her on. "Anything will help."

"Well, let's see." Cirno fished into her dress pocket, and took out a weathered, thin black box. "The Princess found this the other day."

"The Princess?" Another new name to add to the ever-growing list of new names.

"Princess Wakasagi. A mermaid. Anyway, she gave it to me, since she didn't know what it was for. It appeared only a couple of days ago, so it should be from your time, whenever that is." She tossed the box over, and I hastily reached over to catch it. It slipped through my fingers, and the sound of the box splashing into the water, the sound of my shame, reverberated through the empty lakeside air.

Upon closer inspection, what had looked like a simple black box from a distance turned out to be, of all things, a smartphone. It had the glass screen, power and volume buttons, and everything else you'd expect it to have. A pity that it didn't turn on - perhaps Cirno carrying it around with her had fried - or frozen - the circuits in the device. The fact that I remembered what a smartphone was surprised me then, as did my memory of airplanes when I was describing the outside world to Reimu, but at the time, I was simply happy to find something from my time in this temporally ancient realm.

"Something you recognize?" Cirno asked, seeing the small smile that grew on my face.

I nodded. "It is something. Would you mind if I kept it?"

She shrugged. "I don't need it."

I pocketed the phone, and turned to Reimu. "I guess we could keep looking, if Cirno can't offer us any help."

"I suppose so." Reimu took one last angry glance at Cirno, as if trying to say, 'You keep off my guest!'. Cirno glared back.

In hindsight, maybe we should've just headed for the Human Village instead, even if it was farther away.


	9. Entry 9: On Hakurei (Part 6)

The new addition to my jacket pocket repeatedly struck the side of my abdomen as we made our way back to the Hakurei Shrine. Though the weight, which sat next to my journal, was slightly uncomfortable, I felt a glimmer of hope for the first time since I'd arrived here. Looking back at all the hours spent weaving in and out of Misty Lake's surrounds, hoping not to attract the curiosity of any of the more inquisitive and hostile of the locals, I realized how nice it was to finally have a companion, if not a friend. Solitude was tolerable before, but now I felt as if I could never go anywhere within the bounds of this realm without someone - someone human - watching my back. And with the smartphone, my first source of hope, in my possession, I hoped to continued following whatever clues I could salvage. At this point, there was little I wouldn't do to get the answers I wanted.

Not that I minded any company of smaller stature, either. Reimu was next to me, and standing unusually close. Not a surprise, considering who was trailing somewhat awkwardly behind us.

"Why are you following us?" Reimu finally broke the ice, swiveling to confront our unnaturally voiceless follower.

Cirno shrugged. "I hate to say this, but like I said before, I'm curious. I want to know how the traveler got here. It's not like he's anything special, right?"

Reimu squinted at Cirno. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"You're not being yourself, Reimu." Cirno's tone was as frosty as the icy mist that steamed quietly in her wake. "Sure, we get many people who are thrown in from the other side. But," she turned to look at me, "you're... different, somehow. Maybe it's just that you're a newer face than most of the humans around here."

"What eras are the humans in the villages usually from?" I asked.

Cirno shrugged. "Can't tell you. I know nothing about human history. But they seem to accept us well enough. So we don't complain. You, though - you're different."

"I'll take that as a compliment." We continued in further silence.

The shrine came into view. With its cracks and dents accentuated under the misty moonlight, even the shadows cast on the surrounding grass seemed to capture - and hence emphasize - just how old the place really was. Which, of course, begged the question: How old were Reimu, and Cirno, and Patchouli, and everyone else who resided in this realm? Did anyone ever die, be it from overzealous skirmishes or from natural causes? Did age even matter in this place?

I relayed those questions to Reimu and Cirno, but any clear answers from them remained forthcoming. I decided to save them for a later time - I was tired, and our jaunt around the lake had only served to make matters worse. As we re-entered the Shrine's main room, I gave in to the notion of rest, and closed my eyes. When I opened my eyes again, the sunlight was streaming in, a glare that almost blinded me as soon as my eyelids parted. I grunted, and rolled over.

I then remembered where I was, and darted awake.

The same smell of citrus tea greeted my nose. A familiar warmth descended upon my senses, complemented by a cool breeze streaming through the windows, thrown wide open to allow the damp grassy odor from outside to mix with the sweetness of the Hakurei Shrine's signature herbal concoction within.

I looked around. Reimu wasn't in. Probably sweeping the pavement outside, or cleaning up somewhere.

I heard a snort, and looked down to see another figure sprawled right next to where I had been sleeping. A trail of drool had escaped from Cirno's gaping mouth, and as she turned, her mouth curled into a silly little smile, and she giggled. Remembering her verbal ferocity from the night before, I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at the sight.

Looking out the window, I spotted Reimu in the distance, clutching her trusty broom, swinging it back and forth. The crickets sang. The trees whistled. The sun continued shining. The teapot on the stove puffed contentedly.

Whatever concerns I had could wait.


	10. Entry 10: On Hakurei (Part 7)

It was night-time in Gensokyo. I huddled over at the edge of the lake, pulling my legs towards me, half an eye watching as the water, so still as to be almost dead, rolled over the patches of moss on the rocky step that divided the land between green and blue. The moon was perfectly reflected in the great mirror that lay at the heart of the surrounding forest, and high above, the reflection's source hung on the wall of the sky, glued to the canvas by the waxy clouds plastered lazily across the perennial darkness.

I could never recall a place like this in the world that I once knew, for between the images from my recent travails and the farther, fainter memories of my childhood, there was a large, gaping chasm, as deep as the bottom of the lake that I now sat beside. I cared not to recount what I knew, for nothing that I could remember would aid me in my ultimate aim of escaping this place. Yet, I had always harbored an upwelling of adventurousness within me, and this disquiet, this small flicker, now spread like wildfire as the true scale of this realm became apparent to me. This was not just a patch of forest here and there, or a mansion overlooking a body of water. This was an entirely different world, an elevated dimension where its denizens, though trapped in the past, felt as free to move about as normal humans might do. More so, even, with the help of magic.

What Patchouli had imparted on me in the library of her mansion had left a lasting effect in my psyche. It was a lesson beyond any which could be given by word or by picture. As the events of this diary's first few entries began to sink into me, I began not only to remember, but also to relieve. A worldly lock had been cut; a switch had been flipped deep inside my brain. For the first time, at least as far as my mind would allow me to recollect, I could distinctly feel the nature of the veil draped over all of Gensokyo. It was a pulsating, intangible force that could be disturbed, could be pulled and pushed and toyed with at will by those who knew how to, but it was much too heavy to be lifted.

This, too, led to another revelation – if, somehow, the blindfold was pulled off the eyes of every sentient being that resided here, not only would they lose their magical abilities, but the entire piece of land upon which Gensokyo sat would be violently ripped through time, all the way into the present world as I, and the few other humans that lived here, knew it. If that were to happen, the repercussions would be severe, to say the least, not just for the people in this dimension but also for the people in mine. It was a sobering thought, but at the same time, if it did happen, how could any of us possibly stop it?

I suspected that the key lay with the guardian of the portal between the worlds, who now approached from behind, humming softly to herself, her robe sailing loftily over the grass as she made her way over to me.

"Traveler, you must be hungry." She set down a tray beside me. On it was a plate of rice, accompanied by white chunks of fish, a salad comprised of mixed greens, and the expected bowl of miso soup to top the meal off.

"Thank you. I am famished," I admitted. "It smells delicious."

I could almost hear her smile as she patted her robe down and took a seat beside me. A tiny pebble was dislodged as she took her place in the grass, and it tumbled down into the water, splashing audibly in the otherwise quiet night. Upon contact, the lake rippled obligingly, perfect circles reverberating out into the center of the water, sending shockwaves through the painting of the moon's great white exterior.

I took the rice, plucked a couple of fish chunks from the tray, and began to eat. The shrine maiden watched me intensely.

"It's good," I assured her through a mouthful of food. "Very good."

She lifted a hand to her mouth and giggled. "I am glad."

A twinge of embarrassment shot through my chest, and I completed the rest of my meal in silence. The moon, recovering from the last of the ripples, gazed back at me as I sipped the soup, letting the slightly rough miso stock brush past the back of my throat.

I put the bowl back on the tray and took it as I stood up and made ready to go back.

"Oh no, allow me." Reimu rushed to take the tray from my hands.

"It's fine. You cooked this, the least I could do is wash it for you."

Another rustling through the grass, this one much quieter than the last, drew near.

"You two are like a married couple. Just let him do what he wants, Reimu."

"We are not like a married couple," Reimu snapped. I was lucky she spent the next few minutes embroiled in her usual brawl with Cirno, or she would have seen, even in the waning light of the moon, that my neck was bright red up to my ears.


End file.
